Her Silent Message
by baby's breath
Summary: Naruto always wondered what Sakura would do in that garden... [SasukexSakura]


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_**This one-shot is dedicated to one of my close friends, Candace. I hope you enjoy this short story!**_

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... I do not own Naruto ...

**Her Silent Message**

by baby's breath

_- The Message Written By the Blossoms -_

_-_

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_**Modoreru nara tsutaetai yo**__ If you could come back, I'd want to tell you_

_**Ie nakatta "I love you"... **__The "I love you" that I couldn't say_

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_"Why are you prowling around in the middle of the night?"_

_"I knew you'd come this way... if you were to leave..."_

_"..."_

_"So I just __**waited**__ here..."_

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"Sakura-chan..."

Naruto watched, for that was the only thing he could do. He watched as the pink-haired girl sat at that bench; the hard, cold, cemented bench where her first and probably her last love left her after knocking her unconscious. Everyday, she would sit at that same bench, arms folded atop each other neatly, resting on the surface of her lap clad in her cream-coloured training skirt. Emerald eyes would bore longingly at the path that led to the wooden gates of Konoha, blinking every once in a while. Her lips would be set in a thin line as she patiently sat on the bench, not minding her surroundings.

Everyday, she waits patiently on that bench, hands on her lap and eyes set on the path going to the gates of Konoha.

Ever since _he_ left, her true smile had vanished, replaced by a feigned one. She hid her deepest feelings of sadness, solitude and lost with the fake upturning of her lips. All she did was eat foods not enough to keep her usual healthy weight, train nonstop, clean herself, work at the hospital then wait at the same bench. Her life became a daily routine, doing the same things again and again.

Her once healthy pink locks of hair lost their shine, her eyes a dull shade of green. Her once white skin, dotted with tints of rosy red, became pale. Her lips lost its smoothness, replaced by a choppy texture of red skin. But no one noticed it because everything was hidden by her fake smile.

Naruto lowered his cerulean orbs at the ground, hands resting on his sides and were clenched tightly in a fist. Even if no one noticed it, he did because she was a close friend of his. She was the young woman he adores so much. To other people, her life may look like it has a direction, where it would end up as she being a successful medical ninja that would even surpass Tsunade, her own teacher.

But Naruto knew better.

Her soul was lost in the depths of solitude and pain, wandering without any direction and only clinging to the two words the person she loves the most had left her as a goodbye three years ago.

_"...Thank you..."_

Her heart was cracked into many pieces and one more touch would completely break it, her hands were incapable of holding together her heart to prevent it from shattering. Her eyes drained all the tears reserved for her and she cannot cry anymore. Her ears were deaf to all the pleadings that Naruto would tell her.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something when he noticed the roseate kunoichi move from her sitting position on the bench. Disappointment washed over him when he realized that she would not be moving out of the place anytime soon.

—

Fragile hands tugged at the weed growing on the grounds, carefully dumping them on one side and making sure no roots were left. The Harunos have a large garden but ever since her parents died, it was up to her to take care of it. But only this morning, when Sakura pushed away the curtains of the only window on her bedroom, did she visualized that the garden can be put to good use.

Sweat forming above her pink eyebrows, Sakura cleaned the garden off of grass. She started at the morning, considering it was her day off, and was still working now that it was almost sunset. Wiping her forehead free of salty sweat, she heaved a deep sigh, looking at the work she did. More than half of the once forgotten land was gotten rid of the unwanted wild grass.

"What are you doing Sakura-chan?"

Dull emerald eyes collided with lively blue ones. She put on another of her false smiles and Naruto concealed a frown. It was refreshing to see her do something new aside from her mundane routine, but to see that she was still a damaged girl inside caused him pain. Nevertheless, he wished that this was a spark of hope that would ignite.

The hope that she would recover from her incurable pain caused by their friend who left them... left her.

"I figured out that the garden needs some work."

Naruto smiled gently at the sound of her voice. Her voice was still gentle and caring, thin and sweet to the ears like the harps played by the angels. He walked into the garden. More than half of which was the color of brown and the remaining where Sakura was was still covered in green. His gaze traveled from her face obscured by the bangs of her coral hair to the length of her thin arms. His heart constricted with pain upon closer inspection of his cherished teammate's undernourished condition.

"D-do you want me to help?"

His brows furrowed together, berating himself for stuttering because of the tear that threatened to make its presence known. Biting his lower lip, he lowered his gaze to the ground.

"Sure, Naruto..."

Nodding his head, afraid that he might lose his grip and begin to cry, he quickly worked on helping her pull the uncultivated ground.

Sakura glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, pausing a little to look at him carefully before resuming on her work.

—

Her common routine of eat, train, work and waiting at _that_ bench continued. Only with the exception that now, she found another thing that she added to her order of things she do everyday. Her garden was always cleaned off of unwanted grass, but she never put anything on it. Not one single flower or any plant for that matter. The ground was kept clean of grass and any trash but no single plant was ever planted on the garden.

Everyone wondered what she was planning to do on it. Ino would bug her about planting some of her flowering plants on the garden, but Sakura would fake a smile and refuse politely until the blonde got tired and just let her be on her way.

Naruto's hope that the broken girl was coming back to normal slowly lessens everyday, when he only finds her on that garden, tending on the ground but never planting anything. He figured out it was another thing that she would do just to lessen the pain on her heart. She was like a lifeless machine instructed to get rid of grasses over and over again.

Her condition, to Naruto's worry and dissatisfaction, got worse. Her life was slowly draining away to a world where everything was a routine, a daily habit without any changes. Even missions did not interfere on her daily life. She continued on her eat, train, work, garden and waiting routine.

The colour of her eyes became more lifeless and her simple stare looks like it sees through things as if nothing was present and nothing could catch her attention. Her eating became simpler and simpler, taking in only what was needed to keep her standing and walking but not enough to keep her healthy. Her thin body got thinner until the hollow of her cheeks became slightly visible. Her skin was now the color of a frightening white and her hair was so thin and not vibrant anymore.

Every passing time, she stared into space longingly, but never, after months of crying over her loss years ago, had she shed any more tears. She lost contact of most of her close friends, for it was very rare that she talked to them. Their concerns were received by deaf ears and they could do nothing but watch as the frail pink-haired girl slowly break down.

She was turning bit by bit into a lifeless doll.

—

The colours of brown, yellow and red were everywhere.

Chilly wind blew on the streets with the leaves joining the sweet dance. A bit of rain here and there, but it never washed away the fact that the dreaded winter was coming.

However, Sakura never minded the changing of seasons. Nothing and absolutely no one was able and will never be able to change the routine she had gotten herself used to.

Her feet kissed the leaves-covered ground lightly, the leaves breaking under the pressure creating a slight crunching noise. Still wearing her usual shinobi outfit; a red shirt without any sleeves where the white circle was printed at the back, skirt the colour of very light brown, the slits on the sides making the dark green shorts visible, and a pair of boots, Sakura trudged down the path that led to the spot where she last saw _him_.

She sat down quietly and placed her hands on top of each other and on her lap.

She waited again.

—

Not even the harsh winter could stop her from waiting at the bench where she waited for three years since he left.

The icicles hung lovingly on the branches of the trees bare of leaves. Chilly wind dance on the deserted paths, a few of the white, fluffy snowflakes falling every now and then and landing on the ground. The paths were covered by a white blanket of snow and glistening under the glare of the sun, like a thousands of tiny diamonds were carelessly yet artistically spread to the white ground. The sad howl of the night wind rang throughout the empty streets.

She sat on the bench, not minding the chilly feeling the bench sent through her body because it had laid frozen there since the start of winter.

Wearing only a sweater, the skirt still present and the boots that was the replacement of her ninja sandals ever since she turned 14, she once again folded her hands atop her lap like the normal thing she does. Her dull green eyes stared at the path he used to leave the village, to leave Team Seven, and to leave _her_... all alone and broken.

Her body shivered under the hug of the cold winter, every exhale of breath she let out created a small amount of white cloud-like smoke. She waited patiently, like what she did for the last three years everyday.

But he _never_ came back.

—

Winter melted into spring.

Green buds could be spotted from the trees' branches, a silent promise of the new lush green leaves. The sun's rays were bit by bit reaching the people, providing comforting warmth.

But as much as everything once again would start afresh, the beginning of a new life, it became extremely the opposite for Sakura.

Her condition became worse. It was so bad that she cannot go to training anymore. Working at the hospital was banned for her until she came back to her once healthy tip-top shape.

The routine she had established herself to keep her going on her life was now crumbling to pieces.

Her pale features became paler. Her skin sticking to her bones, joints becoming visible. The curve under her eyes stands out from her face due to lack of sleep all those previous years.

Naruto tried his best to support his now fallen friend, visiting her everyday to try make her eat healthy foods even if just for dinner. The irony of it all, he was once the one being forced by Sakura to eat vegetables he despised so much, but now it was his turn to do it for her. The corner of his lips forcefully turned down as the tears sprang from the corner of his eyes. Thinking about Sakura, with her lifeless eyes, thin body and never-changing routine, make the invisible hand squeeze his heart painfully and fill his throat with an unremovable lump.

Sakura would just smile emptily at him whenever he enters the bare building she once called _home_. He would prepare anything he could, even order take-outs if needed. Sakura would eat, a few bites of meat and vegetables, a scoop of rice and a little drink of water and that was all he could force her to take in. The nutrients however were not enough to bring her health back.

He would leave the house and bid her goodnight. Once, after the line of light that was coming from Sakura's opened door disappeared, he broke down and cried. Kneeling on the ground, the ground she tended to everyday, he punched it with his fist, dirt sticking to the empty spaces between his fingers.

He made a second promise of finding him and dragging _him_ back to where _he_ truly belongs.

And this time, he would use all his power to fulfill it.

—

_SLAP!_

"You know this already for a long time don't you?"

After recovering from the Godaime's expected reaction, Sakura turned her face to look at the current Hokage, her right cheek bearing a red mark from the impact of the slap. She forged a smile. Her pale lips stretched, lines of red becoming visible and contrasting with the faint colour of her lips. Her eyes were lowered on the ground and she can't help but let the tears upspring from the corner of her eyes, but she never let them fall.

Tsunade's eyes narrowed as she looked at the empty shell of the apprentice she was so proud of. But her strong facade soon turned into a motherly one. Slowly, she rounded her office desk to stand in front of the pink-haired medical ninja. She snaked her arms around the small girl's body carefully, afraid that the fragile girl she treated as her own daughter might trample before her.

Closing her eyes tightly, she let her tears cascade down as she blamed herself for being so careless and letting this happen.

—

There was once a girl who found out what it feels like to love.

Sakura never had a memorable childhood. Everyday of her childhood was spent under the torture and beatings of people around her age who found amusement on teasing her and beating her until they were satisfied. Her self-esteem went down, making it easier for her to be bullied.

Then came Ino, the popular girl everyone admired. She took Sakura out of her miseries, befriended her and protected her. They became good friends, and Sakura's confidence slowly resurfaced.

But once, Ino explained to her that she was still a flower bud, not yet opened up to its full potential and can never represent beauty unless it opens up. On that day, Sakura vowed that she will no longer be just a bud, but a mesmerizing flower opened up fully.

Her heart first learned how to admire when she met Sasuke. His eyes as dark as the starless night and hair as black as ebony captured her attention and she wondered if a common flower bud can catch the attention of such a handsome creature. Her determination to fully bloom increased and the only option she have was to compete with the only person she idolized — Ino. She would be the wall she have to overpass, and so she broke their friendship in order to motivate herself to strive for the best and to be the beautiful flower she wanted to be.

Happiness filled her when she learned she would be at the same team with Sasuke. Even though aware of the fact she was teamed with the 'dead-last' as well, her hope that Sasuke would notice her like for him rose.

One event changed her whole perspective of him as the protégée, always the best and coolest, when he expressed to her the feeling of solitude. She realized that he was a lonely boy inside, all alone and unhappy. Only until that time did she understand him more.

Every act he did to save her, protect her and the very rare act of comforting her fueled her hope. Team Seven's missions and daily activities strengthened their friendship and brought him closer to her.

Fear enveloped her and choked her when the two of them met Orochimaru and when he inflicted the Cursed Seal on Sasuke's neck — the sign of the dark future ahead of him, and the painful future ahead of her. She was never this afraid compared to the time when she found out Sasuke was 'dead' on their mission to protect Tazuna on his way back to his country. His shouts of pain woke something in her and she promised that she would never want to see Sasuke in so much pain again.

The bud bloomed into a full flower.

Her silly crush turned into faithful love.

But her heart broke into more pieces when he left. That night was still so clear to her memory. Sasuke still acted cold towards her, even when she confessed her true feelings for him. She was desperate and will do anything back then, just so he would not leave. Her tears and threats were no help either and he left with only the two words of gratitude.

And when he left, her heart became empty, her soul gone. She felt so alone despite the presence of her family and friends. And salt was added to her bleeding wounds when the tragic death of her parents happened. The last of her strength faded, and she became the lifeless doll everyone knows of her today.

She created her own fake smile and got herself used to a common routine to keep her life going. Even if Naruto and Kakashi were always there for her, they were not enough to stop the bleeding of her emotional wounds, let alone heal it. Her heart broke into small pieces everyday, her soul lost in the dark.

The will to live slowly left her.

And the only cure to her heart's wounds still was not there.

—

Fragile hands meekly placed the small seeds on the hole she had dug before burying them with dirt and watering it with just the right amount of water. Sakura stared at the dark patch on the ground, where the hole had recently been. And for once, after four years, a true smile crept on her face.

The genuine smile of _love_.

If the hour glass's sand was slowly thinning out, she hoped that this last resort would reach out to him.

The tiny piece of ground that she tended for days and days that came would whisper her sweet words to _him_.

—

"Tsunade-sama! Tsunade-sama!"

Shizune broke in to the room, slamming the door open on her wake. Banging her fists on the table to wake the sleeping Godaime, black orbs met hazel ones.

"S-Sakura! We... She... f-found...hospital!"

Realization dawned on the blonde Hokage as soon as Shizune's eyes glazed over. Standing abruptly, causing her chair to be knocked down on the floor, she ran to the direction of Konoha's hospital, her high heels were clacking noisily against the wooden floor and her sleepiness not evident anymore.

_'Sakura, don't you dare!'_

—

"Kakashi..."

Lone eye looked down at endless pools of dark orbs. His appearance only changed in terms that it looked more mature. The roundness of his face was gone, replaced by a man's face that can only be compared to a statue that was carefully sculpted; every details were perfect. He kept his hair trimmed, his fringes hanging comfortably on the side of his face, the dark locks still spiked at the back.

He was still wearing the clothes he wore while staying with Orochimaru at Oto. His trusty Kusanagi sword was skillfully strapped on his back and his pose showed authority and power.

Kakashi walked idly to the opposite wall where the Uchiha could look at him without moving from his perch on the middle of the room where he once lived before leaving Konoha.

The silver-haired jounin narrowed his eyes at that thought.

Taking out his green book from inside one of his pockets, he opened the book on the page where he left off. He let his former student wander inside the room equipped with only the lone bed and the dresser with a small couch at one corner near the entrance door.

There was a thick silence as Kakashi continued to read his book while Sasuke walked towards what used to be his dresser. There was one thing that stood out to him. The picture frame he left with the picture facing the surface of the desk was now sitting on his dresser the way it used to be before he left. No traces of dusk was present on the glass that protect the picture from wearing down.

His onyx eyes observed the faces present on the picture.

There was his teacher, the one who treated him as his own son. The person who taught him the technique that he used to end his brother's life. The older jounin had been the closest to a father that he lost on an early age. He was there to protect him and to lead him away from the darkness awaiting him. Kakashi told him that revenge would just bring him emptiness inside, and even though he hated to admit it, he was right.

A smirk graced his lips as he looked at the owner of the head where Kakashi's left hand was resting.

Naruto, the person who became his best friend. The person who dragged him back to Konoha, even though he was half-unwilling. He remembered the days when they would always bicker and fight. They always try to beat each other in terms of being the best, treating each missions and tasks as a competition to show who was stronger. He once thought of him as someone he should beat in order to gain power, but he was glad that he did not end his life when they fought on the Valley of the End.

Before he could look more closely on the last two person present on the picture, he asked, "Where's Naruto?"

Kakashi tilted his head to the side after hearing the dark-haired shinobi's question. An invisible force squeezed his heart just thinking where Naruto was. Closing his book, he took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Somewhere... he just went somewhere," came the general reply.

Sasuke had a bad feeling about this, but he ignored the ominous feeling clouding his mind.

He reminisced the time when he and Naruto fought once again, and the determination set on his face when they clashed. Despite the cold of early winter, the fight took long since each shinobi had elite skills. In the end, the fight ended up with both of them battered up. Their skills were on the same level; Naruto harnessing the Kyuubi chakra or not. They were both on the ground, panting heavily after such an intensive duel. What shocked him however, was the heavy punch landed on his left cheek by the blonde before helping him stand up. Somehow, the punch was full of emotion that it cannot be compared to his ordinary punches.

Upon arriving at the village, he was put under probation, and would be in house arrest for two months until the elders gave him their final verdict. The Godaime informed him that there would be a great chance of him receiving a lesser punishment because of the powerful bloodline limit he possess. And the bonus would be his accomplishment of killing Orochimaru and Itachi. Also, Naruto's persistence would help a lot, especially since he had done a lot of good at the village and was currently in-training for his turn to be the next Hokage after Tsunade retired.

Even after his treatment at the hospital or his current house arrest, he cannot help but notice the absence of emerald eyes and pink hair that belongs to their female teammate.

Sasuke took the picture frame and glanced at the only female of the group. A finger touched the glassed picture frame, and wether it was from pressure alone or not, a crack suddenly formed. Sasuke's eyes momentarily widened before it narrowed upon observing that the crack started at the middle, where the smiling face of the girl who confessed her love for him was.

He placed the frame back at the top of the drawer and closed his eyes firmly, eyelids draping over black orbs. Kakashi closed his book and bid his goodbye, leaving the Uchiha alone to wallow on his own thoughts.

—

"Sakura-chan... I fulfilled my promise..."

Naruto's shimmering azure eyes bored down at the white ground of late winter. The person he was talking to did not give a response and everything was as silent as a mute man.

Slowly and gently, snowflakes fell from the dark sky that hung low. The snow laid down the ground, adding to the layer of white coldness present at the earth.

The blonde's face twisted up as if he was about to cry before he took hold of himself and smiled bitterly albeit the coldness of his surroundings and the eerie silence wrapped around him. His orange scarf goes well with his sunshine-kissed hair and every breath he took produced a cloud of white smoke.

"_He_'s back."

His eyes widened when a small hint of warmth enveloped his body and warm air brushed against the unprotected skin of his face. The corner of his lips tugged upwards as briny tears sprang from his eyes and finally fell down his tanned cheeks. The warmth lingered for a moment, and he closed his eyes to savour the comforting feeling. When cold finally made its presence known, it was then that he opened his eyes and stared at the wide space that was the former Harunos' garden.

Slipping his bare hands inside his pant pockets for warmth, he left the place with the smile still present, his steps leaving footmarks on the bare snow.

_"Thank you..."_

—

Spring washed winter away. The warmth was coming back, and so are the lush green that the winter hid and the colour of the rainbows are becoming evident in the environment. Everything was brightening up, like that of a child's smile.

Sasuke sat on the couch, waiting patiently for Naruto who was yet to come. Fists clench and unclenching, he closed his eyes for a while.

For the past two months, he was alone with only various ANBUs guarding him as company. Kakashi was allowed to visit him, but only once, and nothing was said for it was a bit uncomfortable. It might be out of his character, but Sasuke was looking forward to seeing Naruto and Sakura again. He only saw the hyperactive blonde before he was taken back to the apartment that served to be his house before. Sakura, however, did not cross the line of his vision since he came back.

He was pulled out of his thoughts when he heard the door opened. He immediately sensed the familiar chakra of the Kyuubi vessel.

"Sasuke."

"Hn."

Naruto pulled out his shoes and placed it neatly on one of the shelves reserved for it.

"What took you so long, dobe?"

"Somewhere... I just went somewhere," he responded in a downcast voice.

Sasuke narrowed his eyes at this.

_Somewhere... he just went somewhere..._

Deep inside him, he knew that they were hiding something away from him.

Naruto averted his gaze from the floor to his dark-haired companion.

There were so many things that had changed concerning the sole heir of the Uchiha clan. He became more responsive and sociable, though it would not be noticeable for the many people who were not close to him. Naruto noticed that, since on their travel back to Konoha, they had been talking a little about the things that had happened when Sasuke left. It could be called an awkward conversation, but it was enough for Naruto to see that the Sasuke he treated as his best friend and a brother was back. The coldness that was once settled in him when they saw each other in Orochimaru's lair receded, and on its wake was now the old Sasuke of Team Seven.

Forcing a grin on his face, Naruto called out in a booming voice, "Ne, ne Sasuke, Kaka-sensei is always late!"

Resting his hands behind his head, he walked towards the bed and sat down at the edge, facing Sasuke. The latter laced his fingers together, resting his chin on top of it and answering with a "Hn" also aware of the sudden change in Naruto's mood.

Silence lodged in the room for a while until Naruto decided to break it.

"What are you going to do now that you're out of your house arrest?"

Still silence.

"Oh I know! We can go get some ramen! I heard that ou-chan made a new ramen for his menu!"

Naruto stood up from his perch on the edge of the bed, punching a fist in the air as he talked about the new ramen he wanted to taste. Sasuke, however, averted his gaze from the obnoxious blonde and redirected his line of vision to the wooden door of his apartment.

"Where is _she_?" the words finally came out of his mouth, forming the question he longed to ask ever since Naruto entered the room.

Naruto ended his trail of words as soon as the question resounded in the air. He knew perfectly well who he was referring to and the jabbing pain from his chest befell again. His smile turned to a frown and his cerulean orbs glazed over. The morning sun rays entered through the slits of the window's coverings, touching the tanned skin of the blonde shinobi.

Thinking that the blonde would not respond and was playing dumb, Sasuke said through gritted teeth, "You know who I'm referring to dobe."

The person whom the former question was directed to ignored the name Sasuke called him and instead, he sat back to the bed where he once was. Through the lump that formed in his throat, he managed to reply, "She can't come."

A feeling of disappointment developed inside him, something the Uchiha was not accustomed to. Being a person who was not an expert to feeling this kind of emotion, he opted into showing it as anger — a feeling he was used to.

"Why don't you just say that she does not _want_ to come?" he said, the coldness of his voice seeping through every words.

Sasuke noticed the clenching of Naruto's fists but he paid no heed. The disappointment he was feeling right then was slowly clouding over his better judgement, just like how he used to be full of anger whenever he fought with Itachi. He felt betrayed by the girl who confessed her undying love to him, who cried when he left and offered anything in her power in order for him to let her come. Now that he was back, where is she?

"Hn, maybe now she was too _weak_ to even show herself to me."

The words came out of his mouth uncontrollably. It was his only resort of venting out all the feelings befuddling his mind at the moment. He was so focused on letting all his bottled up feelings out that he was surprised when he felt the stinging pain of a fist making contact with his cheek. Too startled to keep his balance, Sasuke fell on the floor, his elbow making contact with the floor first before it was pushed down by his body's weight. Using that same elbow to support his body's weight, he pointed a glare towards Naruto's direction.

His sky painted eyes were narrowed, lips parting in a rhythmic pattern because of restrained anger, showing one canine tooth of his upper row of teeth. Resting his hand he used to punch Sasuke on his side, he made a few steps toward the Uchiha and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt before slamming him hard against the cold wall.

Sasuke made a grunting noise when his back met the cold surface of the wall. He could feel Naruto's hold on his shirt tighten and he opened his eyes once again to glare back at the whiskered blonde.

"She's not weak, you get it!?!"

_**You **__are her only weakness...'_

"She even surpassed Tsunade, even baa-chan admitted that herself!" with a low growl, he pushed Sasuke harder against the wall, "S-she loves you so much she cried for days and days when you left. She trained so hard in order to get you back," tears formed from the corner of his eyes and he blinked, the tears coating his lashes,"She waited on that bench where you left her hoping that one day you'll come back! There were no days that she missed waiting for you, even in winter she would sit on that bench to wait! Do you understand... how much Sakura-chan loves you, Sasuke?!" he shouted his name, and his eyes widened upon hearing Sasuke let out a low laugh.

"Then tell me, Naruto... why can't she come?" he looked at him mockingly, his dark eyes challenging and a smirk present on his lips.

Naruto let go of his grip on him and he stepped back to give him space. His shoulders shook from his restrained sobs, fists clenched tightly at his sides, drawing blood from his palms. The anger he was once feeling was slowly melting into one of loneliness. Naruto let his tears ran down freely from his azure eyes as he informed the Uchiha the one thing he, himself, cannot believe was real.

"Sakura-chan... she can't come even if she wants to."

Sasuke's jaw tightened, his smirk frozen in place before it was replaced by a thin line. His face was set in an indifference facade, but inside his mind was in a turmoil. Different emotions piled up inside him, emotions he was not aware he was capable of feeling. An invisible kunai stabbed him in the heart, rendering him speechless. All at once, everything made sense to him.

Her absence.

The uncomfortable feeling settling in the pits of his stomach.

Their answers to his questions.

_Somewhere... he just went somewhere..._

_Somewhere... I just went somewhere..._

_She can't come even if she wants to..._

Naruto watched through watery eyes as reality dawned on the Uchiha. Memories of her last moments came flooding back in him and he closed his eyes as pain shot through his every fibre.

—

"Sakura-chan!"

There she was, her thin frame covered by the pristine white sheets of the hospital bed. Her coral locks were carelessly tousled on the bed, framing her thin, pale face. She tilted her head to the side with much effort, trying to look at the newcomer. Her body racked, shaking her tiny form, as series of coughs escaped her mouth.

Naruto ran to her side, caught between hugging her for comfort and calling the doctor for help. Before he could turn and head towards the door, Sakura caught his wrist gently.

"Naruto... don't."

Naruto hesitantly looked over his shoulder, her appearance filling him with mixed emotions of sadness and anger. Gently, he wrapped his fingers around her small ones, taking a seat on one of the stools beside her bed.

"Sakura-chan, you have to be strong. I promise I'll bring him back."

She looked at him intently, a tiny smile forming on her pale lips. Too weak to speak, she nodded her head, knowing that he understood what she meant. Naruto smiled at her before tucking her arm under the warmth of the sheets, urging her to rest and sleep.

"Naruto, the garden... I want Sasuke-kun to see..." before she could continue any longer, Naruto hushed her softly and he nodded his head in understanding.

She closed her eyes and fell into an endless sleep with a smile on her lips.

—

Sasuke stood silently under the cherry blossom tree. Behind him was a wide clearing that was the garden once owned by the Harunos. Flowers were in full bloom, but he paid no heed on them. He was more focused on the ground before him, where a fresh, new bouquet of flowers were placed by Naruto before leaving him alone.

He slightly scowled, remembering her words clearly on the night before he left the village.

_"Why do you always keep so quiet? Why won't you say a single word to me?"_

Sasuke's dark orbs examined the field of flowers spread out before him.

_"Sakura-chan worked so hard on this garden"_

_"She wanted you to see this"_

His brows furrowed together as he scrutinized the red and white carnations that were in full bloom. As soon as he noticed something awkward with the blossoms, he climbed the cherry tree behind him effortlessly up to the very top. Staring at it for a moment, his apathetic eyes momentarily widened, his mouth slightly agape. Then, released from his shock, he disappeared, leaving a cloud of smoke on where he once was.

He reappeared on his apartment, now dark and empty of any person except for him. For a moment, he thought he heard the sweet voice of the person he considered annoying called his name lovingly. Looking over his shoulder and trying to locate the source of the voice, he felt numb upon realizing there was no one there but him.

The next day, he came back to the garden. He was unsure why, but he wanted to see again what he saw yesterday and take a closer look at it. Somehow, he felt that he was closer to her this way. Dark clouds hung over the sky, and moments later, rivulets of rain water fell from the sky soaking him and everything wet. He paid no heed to this and instead, continued gazing at the flowers spread below him.

His mind formed the image of a pink-haired girl with bright emerald eyes, giving him her smile and calling him affectionately.

_"Sasuke-kun!"_

_Why won't you say a single word to me?_

He smirked, the droplets of rain jostling on his face, and he whispered silently to himself, "Even if I don't say anything, the feeling will always be there...Sakura."

With that, he left the place where the carnations are in full bloom. Their colors were more brighter due to the rain, blood red bordered with pure white, forming the words of

_I love you..._

* * *

_A/N:_

_Another one-shot from me._

_Candace, I hope you liked this one-shot!_

_I got this idea when we were power-walking, and I was told of this wonderful story of a man, who knew he was dying already, and he planted flowers on his garden for his wife. The flowers were planted in a way that they form the words of 'I love you'. I really thought it was romantic and sad at the same time._

_Before I forget, 'ou-chan' is what Naruto use to address the owner of Ichiraku ramen, Teuchi. 'Ou-chan' means 'old man'._

_One more note, aside from the flowers forming the words 'I love you' in this one-shot, the carnations also have meanings themselves. **Red carnation denotes deep love and affection while white carnations are pure love and good luck.**_


End file.
